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10.21.13Professor Norman Poser’s New Book Praised in the Wall Street Journal

In a recent Wall Street Journalreview, Professor Emeritus Norman Poser was praised for his “fascinating portrait” of Lord Mansfield, the legendary 18th-century judge and statesman. The book, titled Lord Mansfield: Justice in the Age of Reason (McGill-Queen’s University Press 2013), details the arc of a colorful life and extraordinary legal career and his lasting impact on Anglo-American law and society. Professor Poser’s “engaging” biography portrays a leader who “consistently exemplified that virtue so often lacking in his successors: circumspection,” according to the Journal.

In the book – the first modern biography of Lord Mansfield (1705–1793) – Professor Poser details the life and times of a compelling historical figure. The son of a minor Scottish nobleman who skirted charges of treason, Mansfield rose through English society to become a member of its ruling aristocracy, confidential advisor to two kings, and friend to statesmen, poets, artists, actors, bishops, soldiers, and members of the nobility. His extraordinary political career – both before and during his unprecedented 32-year tenure as Chief Justice of England – offers a portrait of an intriguing era. To celebrate the book's launch, the Law School hosted a reception earlier this month, drawing faculty, students, and friends.

Professor Poser is a widely respected expert in international and domestic securities regulation. In addition to Lord Mansfield, his books include Broker-Dealer Law and Regulation, and International Securities Regulation: London's “Big Bang”and the European Securities Markets, as well as numerous law review articles. He is a member of the American Law Institute and serves on the Advisory Board of Standard & Poor’s The Review of Securities & Commodities Regulation. He retired from teaching in 2007.

Prior to joining Brooklyn Law School’s faculty in 1980, Professor Poser was with the American Stock Exchange as executive vice president for legal and regulatory affairs and senior vice president of policy planning and governmental relations. He was also in private practice, and an assistant director of the Division of Trading and Markets of the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, he served as a consultant and expert witness in connection with securities litigation and arbitrations for the New York State Attorney General, World Bank, Organization of American States, United States Agency for International Development, Securities and Exchange Commission, and the New York Stock Exchange and other securities exchanges.